LIVINGSTON — Jimmie Lee Menefee Jr. was sentenced to five years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on two counts of delivery of a controlled substance in Judge Elizabeth Coker’s 258th District Court on Monday, according to a statement released by the Polk County District Attorney’s office. Menefee was sentenced to five years probation, the maximum allowed by state law, on two other drug possession charges. The probation sentences will be served after Menefee is released from prison. In 2007, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division conducted a lengthy investigation into Menefee’s narcotics trafficking, Hon’s statement continued. The investigation resulted in three charges for delivery of a controlled substance and two charges of possession of a controlled substance. “Officers conducted three undercover buys at Menefee’s Corrigan area residence resulting in the confiscation of approximately seven grams of crack cocaine,” Hon said.

Evidence presented in the punishment phase showed that while Menefee had no previous felony convictions, he was arrested in 1997 for delivery of a controlled substance. The 1997 case was prosecuted by federal authorities but did not result in a conviction. After Menefee entered a guilty plea in April of this year, law enforcement officials received information he continued to sell illegal narcotics from his residence and arrested him June 4 for delivery of a controlled substance. “Our office is happy with the sentence handed down by Judge Coker,” Polk County Assistant Criminal District Attorney Joe Martin said. “Drug dealing is a scourge on our community and a message has been sent that it will not be tolerated by the people of Polk County.”